Swivel harp



Jan. 20, 1942. K. BERGER 2,270,497

SWIVEL HARP Filed Dec. 12, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l Emmet Bayer,

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY:

Jan. 20, 1942. BERGER 2,270,497

SWIVEL HARP Filed Dec. 12, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [011105 BergenINVENTOR.

ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 20, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SWIVEL HARPKornel Berger, Brooklyn, N. Y. Application December 12,1940, Serial No.369,732

Claims.

' The invention here disclosed relates to the construction of swivelharps.

One of the important objects of the invention is to facilitate themounting of the swivel fixture on the harp frame.

Another important object is to eliminate the need for any springs or anyspecial spring materials in the swivel fixture, such as have heretoforebeen generally considered essential to provide a desirable yieldingholding engagement of the shade supporting fixture on the harp frame.

Other objects of the invention are to reduce the number of parts, toreduce the size and in general, to improve and provide a moresatisfactory form of swivel structure.

Additional objects and the novel features of construction, combinationand relation of parts by which the purposes of the invention areattained will appear and are set forth in the following specification.

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification,there are illustrated different practical commercial embodiments of theinvention. The actual structure however may be further modified andchanged all within the true intent and broad scope of the invention aswill appear from the description and definition of the invention in thefollowing specification and claims.

Fig. l is a broken part sectional view illustrating the inventionapplied and in use, adjustably supporting a sha e on a lamp.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the swivel, as taken onthe line 2-2 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the fixture with the wire of the harp brokenand appearing in section as on the plane of line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a broken sectional view illustrating application of thefixture to the side of the harp with the wire encircling talons orfingers of the yoke open to engage over the wire of the frame.

Fig."5 is a similar view showing the talons closed about the wire andthe side of the wire flattened against the head of the stud by thepressure exerted in closing the talons.

Fig. 6 is a view looking at the inside or underface of the fixture asapplied over the side of the wire.

Figs. 7 and 8 are enlarged broken detail views of the wire of the harpframe showing it formed with an indentation in the top which willstraighten out as the ends of the wire are brought together in securingthem to the harp base.

Fig. 9 is a further enlarged broken and part sectional view showing inan exaggerated way how the rigid cap may be applied with sufflcientpressure to cause the stud to actually bend the wire slightly, thus toutilize the resiliency of the wire for spring tension purposes.

Figs. 10 and 11 are side and end views respectively of the lamp shadestud modified as in Fig. 9 with a transversely convex wire receivinggroove.

Figs. 1, 2' and 3, show the basic structure of the fixture as simply twoparts, the screw stud I, having a fiat head 8, bearing on the wire 9 ofthe harp, and the yoke, cap or washer I0, engaged over the head of thestud and having dependent pairs of lugs, hooks, fingers or talons II,

closed about the wire at opposite sides of the head.

The cap or washer is shown perforated and bossed up about the center atI2, and as having a dependent annular flange or skirt I3, in which thewire clasping talons are rooted. This combination of features stifiensand strengthens the cap, rendering it sufilciently rigid to permit ofthe special assembling method to be described and for it to hold itsshape permanently.

Fig. 4 shows how thecap is blanked out and formed up with the fingersII, of each pair open, separated so that they will pass readily over thewire of the frame. This view also shows how these fingers are ofinwardly curving tapered shape, so that as they are closed about thewire to the Fig. 5 condition, they will conform to and gripsubstantially the full circumference of the wire at the inside and willmerge into a smoothly curved arch formation I4, at the outside. The endsof the opposed wire gripping fingers are angled as indicated at I5, Fig.4, so as to come into closely related opposition, Fig. 5, and so as toprovide at the inside the relatively sharp corners I6, which, in theclosing of the fingers and in subsequent rotation of the fixture, may tosome extent actually "bite into the wire of the frame.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 illustrate a'further feature of the invention, namelythe applying of the fixture over the side, instead of in the normalposition, over the top of the wire, and the application with such forceas to flatten the face of the-wire to make it serve as a cam fortightening the fixture as it is turned up into the normal positionofuse. The forceful closing of the fingers about the wire accomplishesthe further purpose of forming an impression across the head of thestudwhich aids in preventing that stud turning when the shade is applied andthe finial I'I, Fig. 1, is turned down tight over the stud.

To force the head of the stud against the wire and to close the fingersabout the wire with sufficient pressure to form a "fiat on the side ofthe wire and more or less-of a "line impression in the head of the stud,a special closing die is employed. In Figs. and 6, the fiat camimpression on the side of the wire is indicated at ll.

Fig. 2 also shows how this fiat Il, may appear in the side of the wireafter the fixture has been turned up into its normal position of use.

In addition to the combined cam and frictional holding engagement of theparts, a further holding effect, may result from a slight upwardarchingat the center of the loop-of wire at the top of the frame, asrepresented at IS, in Fig. 6. When the ends of the loop of wire arebrought toward each other to secure them in the base 2. of the harp,Fig. l, the bending of the ends of the wire toward each other has atendency to bulge the wire upwardly at the top. This slight arch It, soimparted to the wire, serves as a cam, yielding under the head of thestud as it is rocked upwardly over the same from the Fig. 5 to the Fig.2 position. v

with this invention, no spring materials are required in theconstruction of the fixture. The one-piece cap may be fiat basic steeland the screw stud just an ordinary steel suited to screw purposes. Thefingers or claws of the cap may be just short enoughto that the endswill not touch when they are squeezed together about the wire, so thatthe full holding and gripping effect possible will be applied. In thebasic cold rolled steel, the claws or. fingers hold their shape and thusprovide a permanent yielding frictional engagement between the parts.The double cam action resulting from turning the fixture after it istightened on the side of the wire, up over the slightly flattened sideand the somewhat arched top of the wire further assures the desiredlast-- ing non-rotating frictional engagement of the stud on the wire.The cutting or biting of the sharp inner corners l6, of the fingersprovides additional frictional engagement and also serves to locate andconfine the fixture on the top of the frame, preventing it from shiftinglaterally in either direction. The harps can be made up complete and theswivels be attached at any time since all that is required to mount theswivels is a closing die to bend the claws of the cap tothe eflect ofperforated lugs or hooks embracing the wire.

' In the modified form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 7 to 11,the wire I, of the harp frame, in being formed up is given a slightindentation 23, in the top between the downwardly angled bends 24, forthe sides 25, of the arch, so that as such sides are brought togetherinto substantial parallelism as in Fig. 8, for fastening in the harpbase, the top will flatten out in a substantially straight span 26.

The material may be an inexpensive ordinary basic steel wire, since thishas enough inherent resiliency to provide all the spring desirable forthe yielding frictional holding of the stud on the wire.

Fig. 9 shows possibly to an exaggerated extent, how when the cap isclosed down over the wire at the opposite sides of the head 8, theintermediate span of the wire 26, between the gripping portions I i,will be slightly bowed or sprung inwardly by the head of the stud andwill thus be tensioned or made to apply a yielding spring pressure tothe head of .the stud. The cap being substantially rigid, maintains theharp wire in this tensioned relation, to thus serve as a means foryieldingly retaining the fixture stud in any desired position of angularadjustment.

In this special combination of yielding somewhat resilient harp wire andrigid cap retaining the stud engaged with the wire under pressure, thefixture may be rotated to carry it within the outline of a harp and itwill be yieldingly held in all such positions, throughout the 360 of ro-88 tially as indicated in Fig. 9, to approximately the gether or towardeach other about the wire. The

fixture, because of the flattened cam produced in applying it, will holdto the side of the wire as in Fig. 5, until it is turned up into theupright position, which may be desirable for certain shipping purposes.Also, if desired, the fixture may be turned down to an inverted positioninside the frame. The cam holding effect however, comes into action anytime the fiximre is turned up over the wire into its position of normaluse. In the position of ordinary use, the swivel will swing through anangle of all possible shade utilization and will frictionally holdyieldingly in all selected positions of angular adjustment. In all suchpositions, the screw stud will be held against rotating about its axis,because of the wide frictional interlock of the fiat head of the stud,over the top portion of the wire and the engagement of the cap with theouter rim portion of the head, as at 22, Fig. 2. The non-springycharacter of the cap material enables the claws or what might beconsidered open forks, to be closed about the wire and to permanentlyhold their closed shape, constituting in combination,

normal bend of the wire under the pressure of the stud.

The transverse grooving of the head to fit the wire, particularly whenthe groove is straight, instead of bowed as indicated in Fig. 9, mayavoid forming a fiat" or other impression in the side of the wire whenthe cap is applied under pressure.

In all forms of the invention disclosed, the need for any spring partsor special spring materials is avoided by utilizing inherent springcharacteristics in the wire of the harp frame and by using asubstantially rigid cap to hold the stud against the wire under pressuresufiicient to impose a certain tension on the wire. Only two parts arerequired in addition to the harp frame. The head of the. stud directlyengages the wire of the harp and the cap directly engages the head. Theharps can be made up complete and the swivel studs added at any time bysimply closing the claws of the caps over the wire at opposite sides ofthe heads of the studs. While the head of the stud is shown as of fairlylarge diameter, it will be appreciated it may be made of smallerdiameter so as to bear on the wire more nearly at the center between thetwo pairs of claws and in which event it may be actually I bent orimpart more of a bend to the wire.

The rigid holding member I0, while shown as stiff washer of sufiicientrigidity .to maintain the desired frictionalgrip on the frame.

What is claimed is: I

1. In combination, a wire harp frame, a lamp shade stud having a headbearing on the wire of the harp frame and a cap bearing on the head ofsaid stud and having pairs of opposed claws closed about the wire atopposite sides of said head, said claws having sharp cornered endsimpressed in the wire to confine the cap to a definite swivellingposition on the wire.

2. A swivel harp having a wire harp frame and in which resiliencyinherent in the wire of the frame is utilized for yieldingly retainingthe swivel structure in adjusted relation without use of springs orspecial spring materials and comprising in combination with said wireharp frame, a lamp shade stud having a head bearing on the wire of saidframe and a rigid cap of nonspringy material engaged over the head ofsaid stud and having pairs of dependent integral claws wrapped about thewire of the frame at opposite head, the claws of each pair being closedtoward each other from opposite sides of the wire and under pressuresufllcient to cause the head to impose a permanent bending strain on thespan I and in which resiliency inherent in the wire of the frame isutilized for yieldingly retaining the a swivel structure in adjustedrelation without re-- course to springs or special spring materials andcomprising in combination with said wire frame, a lamp shade stud havinga head bearing on the wire of said harp frame, said wire having thesides of and spaced away from the rim of the impression of said head-inone side of the same and forming a cam with which said head maycooperate in swivelling adjustments over the wire and a rigid cap ofnon-springy material engaged over said head and having dependentintegral claws wrapp d about opposite sides of the wire at oppositesides of said head under pressure causing the head to impose a bendingstrain on the span of wire between said claws at opposite sides of thesame.

4. A swivel harp having a wire harp frame and in which resiliencyinherent in the wire of the frame is utilized for yieldingly retainingthe swivel structure in adjusted relation without recourse to springs orspecial spring materials and comprising in combination with said wireframe, a lamp shade stud having a head bearingon the wire of said harpframe and a rigid cap of non- .springy material engaged over said headand having dependent integral claws wrapped about opposite sides of thewire at opposite sides of said head under pressure causing said head toimpose a bending strain on the span of wire between said claws, saidframe wire being bent'into arched formation and with an indentation inthe top of the arch and said frame further including a base partsecuring the sides of the arch together with the indented top insubstantially straight condition and the head of the stud bearing onsaid straightened top portion of the arched wire.

, 5. The method of manufacturing harp swivels,

which includes forcing the head of a lamp shade stud against the side ofa harp wire with sufficient pressure to form a cam flat in the side ofthe wire and eifecting the-swivelling engagement of a stud securingmember about the wire at opposite sides of said head, while the stud isso held under pressure.

KORNEL BERGER.

